Pizza Dip

Ingredients

1. 1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
2. 1 (32oz) container ricotta cheese
3. 1 large egg
4. 1 teaspoon salt
5. 1 teaspoon black pepper
6. 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
7. 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
8. 1 tablespoon olive oil
9. 1 green onion, minced
10. 2 garlic cloves, minced
11. 1 pound mushrooms, sliced
12. 1 red bell pepper, diced
13. 1 small jar pizza sauce (about 1 1/2 cups)
14. 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
15. 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
16. 8 to 12 slices pepperoni
17. 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, ricotta, egg, and spices until completely smooth. Set aside.
3. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the green onions, garlic, red bell pepper and mushrooms. Sauté for about 5 minutes until soft and just beginning to brown. Remove from heat.
4. Spread the ricotta mixture on the bottom of a 9-inch pie dish. Top with the pizza sauce in an even layer. Sprinkle with half of the parmesan and all of the veggies. Top with mozzarella and the rest of the parmesan and the pepperoni slices.
5. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly and the top is golden brown. Garnish with chopped parsley and enjoy!

I made this without using the vegetables because Gord is not a fan of mushrooms. I would have used the other veggies but I wanted to see if it would work without using them. It worked and it still tasted great.